


carbon dating

by LordPeanut



Category: Trivia Crack (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, PLEASE END ME, today was a weird day and this is the outcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-26 23:05:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9928037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordPeanut/pseuds/LordPeanut
Summary: It's not unusual to be nervous before a date, they say.Good thing you've got friends to help you stay in one piece





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ADreamingSongbird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ADreamingSongbird/gifts).



„You’ll be _fine,_ you’re worrying over nothing!“ Tina is saying, and Hector really doesn’t have the energy to contradict her.

Pop takes this chance to barge into the conversation. “Yeah!” He finishes tapping something on his phone and puts it down. “I mean come on, you’ve known each other for how long now? At least since the Earth Day party three years ago.”

“Pffft, you’re right, Al held a speech about rainforests and even brought slides. I remember being super impressed too, they were beautifully formatted!” She laughs and covers her mouth with the hand that isn’t busy holding up yet another shirt – the third just this past half hour. Hector groans and turns around to look at himself in the mirror again. He _is_ fine, isn’t he??

“I think I’m… just afraid I’ll mess it up?” he sighs and rubs at an imaginary fleck on his visor. “I mean you guys know me, I always start stammering over the smallest things, and- and remember the time with the vending machine?? What if that happens again? I think I’d have to move cities, no, COUNTR-“, he breaks off when Tina puts a hand on his shoulder and looks at him in the mirror.

“This is not going to be a vending machine situation Hector, trust me.” She gives him a little shake. “Look at it this way, even if it _were_ to happen, I’m pretty sure Al would find it more endearing than embarrassing. At least that’s what I thought, even then.”

“Exactly! You’re too big to fit behind the glass of a vending machine now, anyway!” Pop supplies helpfully from behind. He’s typing again but looks up and grins when Tina gives him a glare. “What? I’m right, am I not?”

“You’re not helping is what you’re doing. Why are you even here if you’re just on your phone?” She asks with a frown.

Pop flicks his head back and a few pieces of popcorn jump up and down. “Providing mental support, obviously. Hec’s gotta get his charm from somewhere.”

Hector has to chuckle at that. It’s been well-established that between the two of them, Hector was the brains to Pop’s…. well, not _brawns_. That was more Bonzo’s specialty. Glamour maybe.

He sighs dramatically- “He’s right Tina, whatever shall I do without him?” – and drapes himself across Pop, who is still sitting on Hector’s bed and looks a little surprised at the sudden contact, but recovers quickly and puts his arms around Hector in a theatrical hug. Tina rolls her eyes and tosses the shirt she’d still been holding over the chair by the desk. After a second she changes her mind and picks it up again, folding it properly.

After putting it back in the closet she looks around the room and hums. “What time is it anyway? Shouldn’t you go soon?”

Pop reaches over and grabs his phone from where he’d dropped it after the impromptu hug. “Ah, hold on. I think you’re goo-“, he presses the power button. “-ooAH! You’re NOT good Hector, you need to GO!” He pushes a startled Hector off his lap and Tina pulls him to shaking feet.

He starts brushing off his pants and his eyes dart around wide open. “Oh noo, noooo I’ll be _late_ and it’s all my _fault_ , I bet Al will be waiting for ages and then he’ll think I didn’t want to _come_ and I’m going to be alone FOREVER!”

This time it’s Pop who breaks him out of his panic, by snapping his fingers in front of Hectors face twice. “Hey! H-Hey, look at me.” Hector blinks and stares at his friend. Pop looks back seriously. “Hector, it’s okay. It’s only five minutes. No one will be alone forever, nothing to stress about.” He cracks a grin. “Al knows you’re all over the place anyway, right? He won’t mind.”

Hector hears Tina snort next to them, and she comes closer to put a hand around his waist. “He’s right, you know. I think the three of us all have that in common, though.”

Their relaxed tones help Hector calm down a little and he takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “Yes. T-To the being okay, I mean. I’m okay.” He pauses. “Alright, that other stuff is true too. We’re all a mess. Thanks for being so patient with me you two. I know I can be a handful.” He fidgets with his hands and grabs a hold of Tina’s blouse. She hugs him tightly in return. Pop immediately joins and with him the air of ease returns.

When they all pull back its because Pop’s phone goes off in a message alarm, and everyone becomes aware of the time issue again. Tina and Hector scramble to find everything he might need – phone, keys, wallet – while Pop squints at the screen for a second before exclaiming a hurried “Ah!” and waving for everyone to pay attention to him. Tina raises her eyebrows. “This better be important.”

“Of course it is!” Pop quickly moves over to where they’re standing. “We have to take a picture! Don’t worry, I won’t show anyone.” He adds, when Hector starts to protest. “Except Bonzo maybe. Hey, what? He knows what you’re doing today, I think he’s entitled to know what’s going on, especially since he couldn’t make it here. Now, _smile!”_

-

_-bounce-_ “I think you’re overcomplicating things dude,” - _bounce-_ “because you love doing that,” _-bounce‑_ “which might be cool with like, physics or something,” _-bounce‑_ “but here you’ve really got no reason to.”

They stop at a red light and Bonzo catches the basketball in one hand. He scratches one finger over a scuff mark and looks over to Al, who’s definitely _not_ going through potential ways today could go wrong in his head. Absolutely not.

“Not to criticise your expert dating skills or anything. Like this,” Bonzo waves a hand around vaguely. “What are we doing leaving the house half an hour _early?”_

_‘It’s true’_ , Al thinks, ‘ _he might be right. What am I doing??’_ Out loud he says “It’s good to be prepared, you know? You never know what might happen, what if Hector is early? I wouldn’t want to keep him waiting.”

The light turns green and they continue walking. Bonzo pulls his phone from his pocket and unlocks it without giving it a glance, and instead levels an unimpressed look at Al. “We’re talking about the same Hector here, aren’t we? The always-at-least-ten-minutes-late-Hector, right? Cause I don’t think _that’s_ something you have to worry about here.”

Al swallows and holds up a finger. “Yeah, see, but you make it sound like there _are_ other things I need to worry about instead! Maybe there will be a lot of traffic and the bus is late o-or I don’t know, a car drives past us and splashes me with water, and _I’ll_ be late because I have to go home and change. Look, there are still puddles from yesterday’s rain everywhere. We’re at risk here, Bonzo.”

Neither of them says a thing when he finishes, curtesy of his friend giving him the most incredulous stare Al has ever seen. He quickly looks ahead instead. A second later he can hear Bonzo typing on his phone and then locking it again, before he steps ahead and right in front of Al. The basketball is still under his left arm and he pokes Al’s chest with the other hand.

“Al. Al, hey. Look at me, I’m more interesting than the street lamp, Al. Uh-huh, yeah.” Al reluctantly meets Bonzo’s gaze. “Please tell me you realize how ridiculous that was. Okay fair, maybe not the bus, but definitely the puddles. This is just you overcompensating for your stress, bro. Nothing bad’s gonna happen today, how many times have you gone over this in your big brain? I don’t think I’ve ever met someone this dedicated to detail, I mean come on, you organize your shirts by colour.” At Al’s noises of attempted protest he breathes out a laugh. “Yes I know, helps with the laundry.”

Bonzo moves back to Al’s side and slings a hand over his shoulders. “Point is, I know you’re nervous but don’t you think Hector isn’t? It’s Hector, Al, that’s his thing.”

Al is quiet for a long moment before he hums thoughtfully, and Bonzo moves for them to walk again. “I guess you’re right… I did go through the bus schedule at least five times to make sure… No that was a joke, you airhead.” He laughs at Bonzo’s raised eyebrow. Quieter he adds, “It was three times. Anyway! Anyway, you do keep telling me to, how’s it? _‘Loosen up a lil’, brah!’_ ” Al unsuccessfully dodges his friends light shove as he’s pushed away and laughs again, louder this time.

“I have never talked like this in my entire life, Al! You’re killing me dude, this probably counts as slander, I’ll see you in court good sir.” Bonzo shakes his head as he laughs too, and pulls his phone out again. There is a new message on the notification screen and he grins like he has an idea, and clicks on the camera icon. “Look fresh, nerd, it’s picture time!”

With a deep sigh that’s more for show than it is serious, Al puts on a smile and lets himself be pulled closer again. Bonzo takes the picture and then types a short message and presses on send. Only then does Al realize what he’s doing. “Hey wait! Wait, Bonzo, who are you sending that to??” He asks with wide eyes. “You know I’m not very fond of my face bein-“

“Not to worry!” Bonzo interrupts him. He gives Al an encouraging smile through his tooth gap and raises his hand placatingly. “It’s only Pop. You know he knows what you’re up to today, and you also know he doesn’t _actually_ post any pics without asking first. That’s like, social media etiquette or something.”

Al frowns a little and crosses his arms. “If you say so…jock…”

They both know he’s just playing the part. After all, every one of them have enough embarrassing ammunition to post if Pop ever went through with his teasing threats. He wouldn’t dare.

“You know…” Bonzo starts again after a second. Al doesn’t know if he likes that tone of voice. “It’s probably a good idea to take pics and all, considering…”

Al dreads to ask. “Considering what…?” He makes sure to add as much apprehension to the question as he can.

“Considering they’ll be good material to put on a projector at your wedding!”

He’s running before Al even manages to finish screeching “ _WHAT?!”_ , and even though he has a head start, and even though Bonzo has won literal medals at tracks competitions, Al races after him.

-

**Pop [15:37]:**

hows it goin on ur end???

**Bonzo [15:39]:**

Fine fine lol als a little stressed. Keeps doing the micromanaging thing

**Pop [15:40]:**

hehe yeah same here, tinas been playing fashion advisor for like ages now

**Bonzo sent a photo!**

**Bonzo [15:43]:**

Pics or it didn’t happen dude

**Pop sent a photo!**

**Pop [15:45]:**

:00000 u guys look so cute!!!!

**Bonzo [15:50]:**

Sorry ahaha got chased by gangly nerd, you look nice too!

Tell tina I said hi, im assuming h already left

**Pop [15:51]:**

yeah! we sent him off, so proud :’)

**Bonzo [15:51]:**

Same same, they grow so quickly lol

(bet you they’ll deny being awkward to us later)

**Pop [15:52]:**

ur on omg                                                                    

**Author's Note:**

> END ME PLEASE D O It Im BEGgING


End file.
